There are times when it is desired to divide large areas, such as rooms or halls, into smaller more private areas. One method of doing this is by the use of movable wall panels which are suspended from, and move on tracks attached to, the ceiling and/or floor. However, this method is relatively expensive and inflexible.
Another method of dividing large areas into smaller private areas is to use movable free-standing wall units. This method is relatively inexpensive and it permits the formation of areas of a wide variety of shapes; but the free standing wall units present storage and handling problems and do not allow complete flexibility in the placement of the wall units relative to obstructions such as walls and support posts.
Hinges are well known for connecting members that are to rotate or pivot with respect to each other. One of the members may or may not be stationary. Examples of members that pivot with respect to each other are wall panels and room partitions. Likewise, examples where one member stays stationary include doors, gates, lids and covers. The most commonly known hinge is generally referred to as the piano hinge. The piano hinge may be described as having flat or plate portions that are secured along the edges of the respective two members so that the members are, thereby pivoting with respect to each other. The edges of the hinge plates of the piano hinge have fingers or tabs that are formed into a complete loop portion for capturing a pin or rod. The tabs extending from opposing plates are staggered to permit them to interleave and become aligned with opposing tabs. The aligned looped tabs permit the pin or rod to be captured by the tabs and permit the hinge plates to pivot or rotate with respect to each other.
Piano hinges, though, have two significant drawbacks: they typically do not permit 360° articulation with respect to the two members, but most commonly allow 180° articulation; and they align the edges of the members closely together and, as a consequence, renders them prone to pinching fingers or other objects that happen to get placed in the vicinity of the hinge during such pivotal movement. This is largely because both hinge plate portions are close together and both pivot about a single axis.